Peers debate News of the World phone hacking probe as senior journalists released after questioning

Wednesday 6 April 2011 07:51 BST

Questioning: News of the World's Ian Edmondson and Neville Thurlbeck

The News of the World phone-hacking scandal will be discussed in the House of Lords today after detectives bailed two senior journalists who were arrested in connection with the reopened inquiry.

Neville Thurlbeck, the Sunday paper's chief reporter, and former head of news Ian Edmondson were released by Scotland Yard detectives last night following a day of questioning and must represent themselves to police in September.

The former colleagues had voluntarily attended separate police stations in south west London, before being arrested on suspicion of conspiring to intercept communications and unlawfully intercepting voicemail messages.

Conservative former Cabinet minister Lord Fowler will today table a question in the Lords about the Government's assessment of the evidence of phone-hacking by newspapers and how it is proposing to respond.

Yesterday's arrests underlined the Metropolitan Police's determination to investigate the scandal thoroughly after criticism that the original inquiry was inadequate.

Thurlbeck, 50, is a veteran reporter who has brought in some of the News of the World's most famous scoops, while Edmondson, 42, was sacked as the paper's assistant editor (news) in January after evidence emerged linking him to phone-tapping.

They were the first people arrested since Scotland Yard reopened its inquiry into claims that staff at the top-selling Sunday newspaper hacked into the answerphone messages of celebrities, politicians and royals.

A committee of MPs heard allegations in 2009 that a transcript of voicemail messages between Professional Footballers' Association boss Gordon Taylor and his legal adviser was prepared for Thurlbeck.

Edmondson's solicitor, Eddie Parladorio, stressed that his client attended the police station voluntarily and has not been charged.News International, publisher of the News of the World, said it was co-operating fully with the investigation.

The company said in a statement: "In January News International voluntarily approached the Met Police and provided information that led to the opening of the current police investigation.

"News International terminated the employment of the assistant editor (news) of the News of the World at the same time.

"News International has consistently reiterated that it will not tolerate wrong-doing and is committed to acting on evidence."

Scotland Yard has endured repeated criticism over its handling of its original phone-hacking inquiry, which led to the conviction of News of the World royal editor Clive Goodman and private investigator Glenn Mulcaire in 2007.

The paper's former editor Andy Coulson resigned as Prime Minister David Cameron's director of communications in January as he admitted that the continuing row about the affair was making his job impossible.

Days later the Met launched a fresh investigation, codenamed Operation Weeting, after receiving "significant new information" from News International.

The decision came amid a steady flow of new allegations about the hacking of the mobile phone messages of high-profile public figures, said to include actress Sienna Miller, her ex-partner Jude Law, former prime minister Gordon Brown, former footballer Paul Gascoigne, comedian Steve Coogan and sports commentator Andy Gray.

Miller obtained a High Court ruling yesterday ordering Vodafone to disclose data relating to other mobile phone users so she can identify who called her number in an attempt to access her voicemails.

Meanwhile, director of public prosecutions Keir Starmer QC said prosecutors' advice to Scotland Yard at the time of the original phone-hacking inquiry "did not limit the scope and extent of the criminal investigation".

His comments to the Commons Home Affairs Select Committee yesterday contradicted evidence given last week by Acting Deputy Commissioner John Yates.

Labour MP Chris Bryant, who believes his own voicemails were hacked, said Mr Yates should now "consider his position" at the Metropolitan Police.